Iowa Reptiles and
Amphibians
There are
a wide variety and number of amphibians and reptiles that make Iowa their home.
People are often surprised to learn of the variety of amphibians and reptiles
we have in Iowa. Many of these animals are secretive and come out only at night
and may not be easily observable. “Herps” is the names given to the large group
of amphibians and reptiles and the study of them is called herpetology.
Herps are
cold-blooded, which does not mean that their blood is actually cold. Cold-blooded
animals are animals that do not generate their own body heat but rather rely on
the ambient temperature surrounding them (air, water, soil, etc) to regulate
their body temperature. This is why you see snakes and turtles basking in the
sun or hiding in the shade – they are regulating their temperature.
Unlike
amphibians, reptiles are not tied to water to lay their eggs and for their
young to develop. Reptile eggs have tough leathery skins that do not dry out
and their young are developmentally identical to adults and do not go through
metamorphosis. Below we take a closer look at one of Iowa’s rarest reptiles –
the Blanding’s turtle!
Creature Feature –
Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
Blanding’s turtles are
listed as THREATENED in Iowa and ENDANGERED over much of their range
elsewhere. Their population is declining as their habitat is being destroyed.
It is illegal to kill, collect, or possess them. Any sightings in Iowa should
be reported to the IDNR and/or the Iowa HerpNet at REPTILIA74@aol.com.
Blanding’s
turtles are named after Dr. William Blanding, the American naturalist who
discovered the species in 1838. The Blanding’s turtle ranges in size from 5 to
10 ¼ inches long. The carapace (upper shell) has a high dome and looks like a
helmet. It is black or dark gray with yellow dots or markings. The plastron
(lower shell) is yellow with a large black blotch on the edge of each scute. Blanding’s
turtles have hinged plastrons which allow them to pull their head and limbs
inside their shell and completely close the front of their shell. Male Blanding’s turtles are larger than
females. In addition, females have striping on the upper jaw while the male’s
upper jaw is plain black giving the appearance of a moustache.
Blanding’s
turtles live in marshes, ponds, or wetlands. They prefer water that is less
than four inches deep with emergent vegetation and a mud bottom. They are
primarily aquatic turtles but they are often found on land not far from water. They
hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the water body where they live. They
emerge from hibernation in April and return to the bottom of the marsh to
hibernate in October.
Blanding’s
turtles feed on a variety of plants and animals with crayfish being their
favorite. They also eat earthworms, slugs, snails, fish, aquatic insect larva,
frogs, tadpoles, plant material and berries.
Breeding
occurs April through May. The female will lay 6-15 eggs in a nest she digs in
the soil. The young hatch in about 60 days. Upon hatching they make their way
to the marsh. Hatchlings are not as vividly marked as adults and their carapace
is not as domed. As with most turtles, the young are not cared for by the
adults. Blanding’s turtles may live up to 80 years and do not reach maturity
until 14-20 years of age.
Iowa
HerpNet: Blanding’s Turtle
Threatened and Endangered Species in Iowa
Use Project
WILD’s “Back from the Brink” to explore the issue of endangered and
threatened species. Students are given background information on the recovery
of wildlife species and are then asked to analyze the issue and make
recommendations for the resolution. Make the Iowa connection and have students choose an Iowa species to
research. Guide students as they choose a species, develop a recovery plan, and
present their findings to the class. Something to think about: How could the
local community and citizens be involved and help resolve any conflicts of
interest?
IDNR:
Iowa’s Threatened and Endangered Species Program
U. S. Fish
& Wildlife Service Endangered Species: Iowa
Book List
Bang. M. 1997. Common Ground:
The Earth We Share. Blue Sky Press.
Burns, D. and L. Garrow. Frogs,
Toads, and Turtles (Take-Along Guide). NorthWord Books for Young Readers.
Crump, D.J. 1987. Wildlife:
Making a Comeback. National Geographic Society.
Dinsmore, J.J. 1994. A Country
So Full of Game: The Story of Wildlife in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Dinsmore, S. 1995. Iowa
Wildlife Viewing Guide. Falcon.
Gibbons, W., J. Green, and C.
Hagen. 2009. Turtles: The Animal Answer
Guide. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Goodnough, D. 2001. Endangered
Animals of North America. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
McClung, R.M. 1993. Lost Wild
America: The Story of Our Extinct and Vanishing Wildlife. Shoe String
Press, Incorporated.
Prelutsky, J. 1997. The Beauty
of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Pringle, L.P. 1990. Saving Our
Wildlife. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Reading, R.P. 2000. Endangered
Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues. Greenwood Publishing
Group, Incorporated.
For
factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:
IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources
(go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and
activity sheets!)
